Temporarily Suspends Issuance of Diversity Immigrant Visas

The United States Department of State has announced an emergency decision to temporarily suspend the issuance of Diversity Immigrant Visas (DV visas). The move has been taken to ensure national security and public safety. Until further notice, no new visas will be issued under the DV Lottery program.

According to the State Department, the decision follows recent violent incidents, including a shooting at Brown University and the killing of a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The prime suspect in these incidents reportedly entered the United States through the Diversity Visa Program. In light of these events, the Department has decided to review and reassess the screening and verification procedures of the DV program.

In a statement, the State Department said, “This pause is intended to strictly verify the identity of visa applicants and assess whether they pose any threat to national security. We do not want any unsafe individual to exploit weaknesses in the Diversity Visa Program to enter the United States.”

The statement clarified that applicants who have already applied for DV visas or have been scheduled for interviews will be allowed to continue with the process. They may attend their interviews as scheduled. However, even if an applicant successfully completes the interview, no new visas will be issued until further notice. In other words, visa issuance is currently on hold.

The State Department also emphasized that individuals who already hold valid DV visas have no reason for concern, as the suspension does not cancel or revoke any existing valid visas. In addition, there is currently no new update regarding the DV-2027 lottery.

The Department made it clear that there will be no exceptions to this directive. The suspension will only be lifted after the entire process is thoroughly restructured in the interest of public safety.